1909.1 



255 



ascription of two labia to the insect. Sharp, on the other hand, 

 believed the Cameroon species to be distinct from the Sierra Leone 

 H. falpoides, Walker, and bestowed on the former the name of H. 

 hanseni. In a later paper, * de Saussure, after explaining liow^ he 

 had fallen into his curious error about the two labia (his " ectolabium " 

 being the mentum and submentum, and his " endolabium " the galea3 

 and lacinejB, the labial palpi becoming duplicated by a misunder- 

 standing), discussed the systematic question, and agreed with Hansen 

 that all the specimens of Hemimerus must probably be regarded as 

 co-specific. This view is also taken by Tvrauss.f 



The distributional interest aroused by the Uganda specimens has 

 led me to consider the question of their specific identity. They agree 

 in all respects with the descriptions and figures given by Hansen, so 

 that they may safely be referred to the Cameroon race known as H. 

 hanseni, Sharp. We may conclude, therefore, that this form ranges 

 right across tropical Africa from west to east. Probably the Hemi- 

 merus recorded by Bouvier from the Mozambique territory, also belongs 

 to this form, although he has attached to it the name H. falpoides, 

 Walker. But is there any constant difference between the two? 



In the Irish National Museum, Dublin, is preserved a single 

 female Hemimerus from Sierra Leone, which in general form of body 

 agrees closely with the male figured by de Saussure in his earlier 

 paper,J and differs by the greater relative breadth of the thoracic and 

 abdominal segments from the Uganda specimens ; as also from the 

 Cameroon insects figured by Hansen, § and by de Saussure in his 

 later paper. De Saussure admits this difference, but points out that 

 Hansen's specimens (from Cameroon) were in spirit and " fortement 

 distendus," while the Sierra Leone type, which he had himselE 

 examined (1879) w^as dried and shrunken. For comparison with 

 Hansen's figures, I give herewith drawings (figs. 1, 2) of the Sierra 

 Leone Hemimerus in the National Museum, Dublin, which, through 

 the kindness of my friend, Dr. R. F. Scharff, I have been able to 

 examine carefully. The greater relative breadth of the middle 

 abdominal segments in the Sierra Leone insect is apparent at a glance, 

 and this distinction is equally evident if the specimen be compared 

 not with Hansen's drawings, but with the dried specimens of H. 

 hanseni from Uganda. But apart from these comparative differences, 

 there are definite structural features separating the two forms. In 



* Revue Suisse de Zoologie, iv, 189(5. pp. 277—300, pi. x. 



t A de Bormans and H. Krauss. Forflculidce and Hemimeridce (Das Tierrcich), Berlin, 1900 

 (pp. 130-131). 



J Cj. Sharp, I.e., flg. 117. § Cf. Sharp, I.e., fig. 114. 



